STANFORD, Calif. — Dillon Tatum hit a three-run home run to cap a five-run first inning, Nathan Church led off the second with a homer to spark a four-run outburst and hit a three-run shot in the ninth as UC Irvine breezed to a 18-3 victory over North Dakota State in an elimination game of the Stanford Regional on Sunday.
Trenton Denholm started for the Anteaters (42-17), pitching 7 1/3 innings and allowing one run on on six hits and two walks. Luke Spillane went 4-for-6 with a double, driving in a run and scoring. Thomas McCaffrey went 3-for-3, driving in two and scoring twice. UC Irvine finished with 22 hits and five walks off six different pitchers.
Bennett Hostetler had three hits, driving in the first run for the Bison (42-19) with a single in the bottom of the eighth.
UC Irvine advances to play No. 9 overall seed Stanford and must beat the Cardinal twice to advance to the Super Regionals next weekend.
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